Residents of Manso-Tontokrom in the Amansie South district of Ashanti Region have renewed their calls on the Minerals Commission to allow them do community mining to help them eke out a decent living.
They made the latest call at the burial of Rahman Mohammed, 35, a native of Tontokrom, who died during the recent violence that occurred between the residents and private security personnel of Asanko Mines.
Donning red and black attire, the residents called on the government to investigate and prosecute the person(s) who killed Rahman for peace to prevail in the area. Residents of Tontokrom and Asanko Gold clashed on March 3, 2024, resulting in the death of three persons.
The Abusuapanin of Manso Tontonkrom, Opanin Kofi Manu, speaking to the media on behalf of the traditional leaders, accused ASANKO Gold of being a bad neighbour, adding that they attempted to use foul means to take their lands from them, which ended in a chaotic situation.
Opanin Manu subsequently called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to order thorough investigation into the circumstances which led to the demise of the three people.
“We want to tell the president that there must be thorough investigation into what has happened because ASANKO did not treat us fairly”, he said.
He, therefore, appealed to government to set up a Community Mining Scheme for Tontokrom community for peace to prevail in the densely populated area, which is full of the youth.
“We want community mining to be set up here, because when they came, they saw the number of people who eke their living from this community. We are pleading with them to set up the mining scheme for peace to prevail.
“Per what has happened, we do not need ASANKO in this community again because if we do not take care, the next incident could be an untold story.”
The traditional leader further blamed ASANKO Gold of fermenting trouble in the area.
Backing his claim, Opanin Kofi quoted President Akufo-Addo as saying that if an organisation wants to operate in a community, they should first go and speak to the people, but ASANKO, he claimed, did not do this.
“The president is on record to have said that if you are an organisation and want to work in a community, go and meet the people and if the community agrees to your terms and conditions, then you can work. We have not had any agreement with ASANKO and before we could say Jack! they opened fire on us, which killed one of us – and this is a painful loss.”
Opanin Kofi Manu advised the youth in the area to be always vigilant and that they should also go to their various hometowns to invest the money they had made at Tontokrom.
“When an issue crops up, come and inform us about it and we would take whatever actions for you to be okay. You are not bad people, but life and its intricacies have compelled you to be miners.”
On his part, the father of the late Rahman Mohammed, Hassan Adams, told the media that their relative who died was protesting against Asanko Gold, adding that he did that in the interest of the community, but he was gunned down in the middle of the protest.
“Demonstration is not a crime to warrant the death of someone; it has been almost two months since our brother was murdered. We want justice; we want investigation to establish who actually murdered our brother for the law to take its course”, he said.
